Deported activists back in Harare as SADC summit ends

Four human rights activists, all members of the umbrella Zimbabwe Crisis Group (ZCG), returned safely to Harare on Monday after being detained overnight in Malawi and deported. ZimRights director Bidi Munyaradzi was among the arrested group which consisted of Brian Raftopoulos, Theresa Mugadza and Kumbirai Hodzi. He told IRIN shortly after arriving in Harare that he believed the Malawian authorities were acting on information they received from their Zimbabwean counterparts. "We had actually gone to Malawi to meet civil society over human rights issues in Zimbabwe and in the region, and also to discuss issues surrounding the SADC (Southern African Development Community) summit. We wanted to make a presentation on behalf of civil society," Munyaradzi said. The worsening human rights situation and deepening political crisis in Zimbabwe were expected to be among main issues discussed at the SADC summit which ended late on Monday. Munyaradzi said that at about 17H30 or 17H35 on Sunday, shortly after booking into the Superior hotel in Blantyre, three policemen arrived at the hotel. "One was a police commissioner with the CID in Malawi. When they came in they introduced themselves. They were actually asking for specific people, which shows that they had information in advance. They confiscated our passports and took us to the police station for interrogation under the assurance it was normal procedure for foreigners," Munyaradzi said. "They said they received information that our presence in Malawi would endanger the security of the Malawian and Zimbabwean governments," he added. After taking the group back to their hotel at about 21H00 and searching their luggage, the police arrested them. "They said we were prohibited immigrants and called the chief immigration officer, who made us fill in forms which dictated we were being charged under section 5H of Malawi's Immigration Act. They refused to divulge the details of the section. "We decided to sign the immigration forms and get onto the next flight. They then took us to the Blantyre central police station where they actually detained us overnight in a cell in very appalling conditions," Munyaradzi said. After spending the night there, the group was taken to the immigration offices at Lilongwe airport. "They said there were new forms to fill because the charge had changed to 4.1H of the Immigration Act, which has something to do with the fact that they were acting in line with information they got from a diplomatic source. That's what they read to us," he said. "It is our belief that there has been close cooperation between Zimbabwean and Malawian security authorities, particularly because of the questions and the fact that we were told 'you're the same people causing trouble in Zimbabwe'," he added. Munyaradzi said the arrests were a "calculated move bent on harassing and crippling the endeavours of civil society". "This has a serious impact on the situation in Zimbabwe and the region since we, as civil society, now cannot communicate or seek guidance or lobby leaders and other civil society leaders in the region," he told IRIN. On the SADC summit, Munyaradzi said that if the concerns of the general public were ignored, there would be "no change in the material situation in this country (Zimbabwe)". SADC leaders headed for Malawi under increasing pressure to show strength in their dealings with President Robert Mugabe and his regime. They have so far rejected the notion of sanctions, but have been unable to persuade Mugabe to curb violence and ensure that human rights are respected in Zimbabwe. Reports of violence against opposition party supporters and members, and against human rights activists, have been rife in recent months, as has been the harassment of journalists. An AFP report quoted SADC chairman and Malawian President Bakili Muluzi as saying during his opening speech at the summit that peace during the run-up to presidential elections set for 9 and 10 March were as important as having peace on the election days. "We are all very hopeful that the elections will be peaceful, free, fair and transparent. We hope that this will be so by allowing every Zimbabwean to participate effectively in the elections in the spirit of democratic principles and value," he said. Muluzi was expected to release a full statement late on Monday, after the summit ended.